On Louisiana Eats! NOLA food icon Poppy Tooker takes us into Louisiana's wide open fields, deep waters, bustling markets, and busy kitchens. Poppy's people are carrying on the traditions of Louisiana's wholly local but universally celebrated food, from farm to table, and sometimes barroom! Poppy roams the State to find the folks whose inspiration and innovation are taking the abundant wealth of Louisiana's food culture into the future. Let's eat!

Since we began broadcasting Louisiana Eats! over five years ago, we've noticed a recurring theme when speaking with chefs, bartenders and restaurant owners about a certain aspect of the hospitality and service industry culture. From the front of the house to the back, across Louisiana and the entire country, there is a substance abuse problem in bars and restaurants.
On this week's episode, we speak with Will Arendell, a renowned substance... Read More »

Since 1986, Cakebread Cellars in Napa Valley has gathered together a small group of chefs, journalists and food enthusiasts for an intensive four-day seminar at the American Harvest Workshop. Recently, the Louisiana Eats! team was invited to participate, so we've brought back some of our favorite stories from the West Coast.
We begin this week's show by joining members of the workshop for a challenging morning of hand-harvesting chardonnay in the... Read More »

Recently, Louisiana Eats! host Poppy Tooker packed up her recording equipment, bid a cheery adieu to her company of sound engineers and went rogue to make Louisiana Eats! radio in France. On this week's episode, we share Poppy's incredible experience abroad.
We begin the journey in the Loire River Valley at Château du Clos Lucé, with a personal tour of the final residence of Leonardo da Vinci from Count Hubert... Read More »

Knowing the human history behind any dish just makes it taste better. On this week's episode of Louisiana Eats!, we hit the books with several food historians to hear tales of our culinary past.
First, we speak with Dr. David Shields of the University of South Carolina, who shares his years of research on American culinarians. His book, Culinarians: American Chefs, Caterers & Restaurateurs, due to be published this year, is... Read More »

Author Andrew Lawler sits down with us on this week’s Louisiana Eats! to discuss Why Did The Chicken Cross The World, which is also the title of his new book. You’ll be amazed by the many ways that simple bird has impacted humanity over the ages. Even Queen Victoria gets into the act, with her fascination for fancy hybrid chickens helping to bring about the “chicken bubble.” Would you pay thousands... Read More »

The food scene of New Orleans has grown tremendously since Hurricane Katrina. On this week's Louisiana Eats!, we complete our two-part series on the storm by taking a look at the changing face of the city's food scene over the past 10 years.
We begin in Gentilly at Arthur Ashe Charter School, where we investigate the edible education revolution that is the Edible Schoolyard. This program, founded by Alice Waters in... Read More »

As the 10th anniversary of the storm approaches, the echoes of Hurricane Katrina and resulting levee failures continue to affect individuals and businesses within the food industry. On this week's Louisiana Eats!, we begin our two-part series on the storm with stories about the aftermath of Katrina on local bars, restaurants, and facilities; and learn how the community has come back in a big way.
We begin with Pauline and Steven... Read More »

On this week's Louisiana Eats!, we set out to discover hot spots both literally and figuratively in our backyard.
We begin at Pêche Seafood Grill, where Chef Ryan Prewitt has been replicating live fire techniques he learned on a trip to Uruguay. Ryan explains how this new process has changed his entire perspective on cooking, and we get close to the flames as he shows us his kitchen's open hearth.
If this... Read More »

On this week's episode of Louisiana Eats!, we visit two Gulf Coast farms where, through collaboration and innovation, farmers are creating better products that will help preserve the environment and give back to the community.
We begin in Washington Parish at Stoney Point Farm, where farmer Tim Roper is collaborating with Dan Ballister of Smoke Hall Foods to create a new product, the General's Hot Sauce. We learn about the new... Read More »

For some, Louisiana summers mean oppressive heat and thick humidity. For others, it means backyard barbecues and ice cold cocktails! On this week's Louisiana Eats!, we bask in the sunshine as we look at locally produced rum, outdoor grilling, and the recent resurgence of interest Tiki cocktails.
We begin with a tour the Old New Orleans Rum Distillery where artist James Michalopoulos has been using Louisiana sugarcane to handcraft small batches... Read More »

It probably won’t surprise you that people who distill, prepare and sell alcohol are generally cheery. But what is it about their job that puts them in such a good mood? Some get to meet new faces every day, while others study the history of their profession, while even fewer teach the trade to apprentices. Whatever the case, they’re all willing to share their knowledge with others and pursue a... Read More »

Pop-up restaurants have been becoming increasingly popular all over Louisiana. These nomadic entrepreneurs move into bars and restaurants, often serving delicious, unconventional food for armies of devoted diners. To find out more about these indie bands of the restaurant world, we go to the source, speaking with some of the newest and most exciting pop-ups in New Orleans at the 2015 Propeller Pop event. Then, for a closer look at... Read More »